Planning for all scenarios, including poor health and death gives you a little bit of breathing room when it comes to planning for the rest of your life. When thinking about estate planning, you must properly prepare your will, healthcare directives, and your final wishes with respect to anything that you find important. One of the most important decisions that you will need to make is deciding who will be the executor of your will and who will be over your health care decisions as a power of attorney. Here are three good reasons why you should heavily consider your responsible child for both of these roles.

Your spouse may also be older and in poor condition

As you age, you are likely to see health issues arise, even if you were generally an active and healthy person. Your spouse, if within your age group, is likely to experience the same problems. Though a spouse does get to make the decisions over health care, if you are in bad health, it could be a strain for them to have to handle major events. There is also a chance that your spouse will no longer be able to make decisions as well due to age, even if they are doing well at the time. The sudden illness of a spouse can be overwhelming; therefore, it is a good idea to have a child step in at this time. Your child will be younger, able to speak with doctors on your behalf, and will be able to follow through with your healthcare directive while offering comfort to their other parent during this time. 

Your estate planning won't have to change due to your partner's death

As time is never promised, it is always a possibility that your spouse can predecease you. One of the last things that you want to have to worry about in such a moment of upheaval is changing your estate planning around. By leaving a child in charge as an executor, you will not have to worry about changing your estate's plans once your spouse dies. Be sure that your will includes clauses on what happens to your estate if your spouse predeceases you so that you will not have to create a second will.

There will be no surprises

If your child/children are kept abreast of your plan and all of your kids know who the executor will be, closing out your end-of-life plan will come as no surprise. Some families have been torn apart due to the financial aspects of completing their parents' estate. For everyone to be aware of a clear, cohesive plan for your end date and what it entails, you set your children up for success, even after your death. 

Reach out to an estate planning service for more information.

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